AsiaNet 70830
GUANGZHOU, China, Nov. 1, 2017 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/-- On 31st October, with the theme of "Innovative Governance, Open Cities", the activities of 2017 World Cities Day were hosted in Guangzhou, China.
Since December 2013, China has promoted the World Cities Day as the first International Day with a theme of cities. It aims to increase international community's attention on global urbanization, to facilitate sustainable development, to enhance related international cooperation, and to construct green, livable, convenient, harmonious cities.
As one of the major activities of the World Cities Day, the World City Competitiveness Forum debuted on the 30th October, and the Global Urban Competitiveness Report 2017-2018 was released. The report was accomplished by Chinese Academy of Social Sciences(CASS), UN-Habitat and many global urban competitiveness experts. With the index systems of urban economic competitiveness and sustainable competitiveness, over 1,000 cities have been measured and ranked. In China, 9 cities enter the list of top 100 sustainable competitive cities while 21 cities enter the list of top 100 economic competitive cities.
Professor Ni Pengfei, Director of Center for City and Competitiveness, CASS, chief city economist of CASS- UN-HABITAT joint project group, claimed that cities in China, represented by Guangzhou have ranked remarkably. As the pioneer of China's reform and opening-up, the national central city and one of the most livable cities, "Flower City", Guangzhou has first entered the list of top 20 economic competitive cities, ranked the 15th.
China's cities' economic indicators go up with the improvement of China's openness. The connection between China and other countries is becoming closer and closer. With the economic growth, Guangzhou has a leading status in China, even globally. This determines that sustainable development can be accomplished in Guangzhou, said Professor Li.
Wang Menghui, the Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People's Republic of China, claimed that since the reform and opening-up was adopted in 1978, China has made a progress of urbanization with the largest scale and the fastest speed in the world. The number of cities grows from 193 into 657. Meanwhile, the infrastructures of cities, public services and city synthesis strength have been improved. Currently, an immense inclusive platform of improving openness and enhancing communication between China and other countries is provided thanks to the construction of the Belt and Road. Hope everyone in the international community can work together to have a bright future.
Joan Clos, Under Secretary-General of the UN and Executive Director of UN-Habitat, spoke highly of the great achievements of China with regard to urbanization. He considered that China's experience shows that well-planned urbanization can boost economic development, especially to urbanization, China provides innovative measures, which have a great value for reference.
As the host of the 2017 World Cities Day, Guangzhou implements human-oriented policy and innovates patterns of cities' governance. Guangzhou's policy of "river chiefs" and ten facts of livelihood resonated with the experts from various countries in the forum.
Wen Guohui, the mayor of Guangzhou, claimed that Guangzhou carefully implements "Planning First" policy to be a clean, safe and orderly city.
"I have seen many marvelous things in Guangzhou." Arturo Lorenzoni, the deputy mayor of Padua, Italy, said that both of Padua and Guangzhou have long history and similar background. Therefore, Guangzhou's experience of city's governance can inspire him.
The activities of 2017 World Cities Day were organized by UN-Habitat and the People's Government of Guangdong Province and undertaken by Guangzhou Municipal Government. More than 380 guests, including officers, mayors, professors and scholars from over 40 countries attended the activities.
Source: Guangzhou Municipal Government
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